STATEMENT OF INTENT

Product 1 – video

I plan to create a dance music video that carries a theme of youthfulness and an easy-going lifestyle which should appeal to the culturally aware target audience of 16-25-year-old class ABC1 demographic. My chosen song is ‘Lose It’ by Oh Wonder, remixed by Jerry Folk and I have chosen to explore the two representations of setting and gender. By using media language, I will convey the themes of freedom and youthfulness by using appropriate mise-en-scene by having the narrative of the music video set on a beach, featuring a group of teenage friends enjoying themselves, echoing the upbeat and cheerful tone of the song. This will appeal to the target audience due to the use of actors of both sexes as well as being a similar age as the demographic, creating characters to which the audience of both males and females can identify with. A dark studio setting with bright neon colours creates a large contrast in setting, which will allow for more conventions of a dance music video to be explored by bringing a performative element to the video, whilst continuing to disclose an easy-going theme. By dressing actors in informal summer-inspired clothing it will further reinforce the themes and ensure that the focus of the video is of summer and youthfulness. The theme of freedom will be enhanced through intertextual references to the Coca-Cola advertisements as the brand’s mission ‘to inspire moments of optimism and happiness’ fits with the theme of the video. It is also a product that the young audience will be familiar with. I will use appropriate codes and conventions of dance music videos such as editing to the beat of the song and interpreting the lyrics of the song through the narrative and use of props in the mise-en-scene. Visual performance and technique will both highlight the dance/electronic genre of the song and video as direct address and lip synching will feature in the dark studio setting. The two settings will appeal to the varied existing audience of the song as the club-like scenes and darker colour palette will target Jerry Folk’s audience as it has a more club like aura, as well as appealing to Oh Wonder’s indie-pop fans by featuring the beach with a warmer colour palette and light-hearted romance within the narrative. This will help to promote the song and its release as there are characteristics of the video that suit audiences from both Island Records and Folkstead Recordings.

Product 2 – website

 I intend to create my website using the correct media language codes and conventions needed for a suitably designed website, including ensuring that it has a professional, contemporary appearance as well as being bright and youthful in order to successfully appeal to the young target audience. I will ensure that the menu bar will be laid out in a self-explanatory manner, and that it features buttons that engage with the culturally sophisticated audience in order to encourage them to explore other content that the brand has to offer, such as tickets and other music. I plan to have the following links available on the menu bar: ‘HOME’, ‘NEWS’, ‘MUSIC’ and ‘TOUR DATES’, with the brand’s social media handles clearly displayed on each page in order to encourage interaction between the audience and artist - aspects that the young audience of 16-25-year-olds would expect of a current and professionally aware musician. The 'HOME', 'NEWS' and 'MUSIC' pages will all be functioning and feature entirely original content. News on upcoming music or shows will be provided on the ‘NEWS’ page to generate enthusiasm and excitement towards a new announcement, which would benefit both the artist and the record label. The website will also be designed to appeal to a younger demographic by using sans serif font and a mix of images and text on screen, often seen on social media - something the culturally sophisticated target demographic is familiar with. I hope to achieve a professional and sleek look on my working website by keeping the colour scheme and branding consistent across all web-pages. I plan to include visual elements on the website in order to secure the audience’s attention and encourage them to explore the website and find more content. Visual elements may include images of the artist and previous album/single covers, as well has having the promotional music video integrated within the home page in order to help promote the artist. The content on the ‘news’ webpage would be regularly updated in order to keep fans well-informed about the artist’s new music, tours, interviews etc. which will all play a role in helping to bring new people into the fan-base and making fans feel included. A second audio-visual element will be a ‘get to know the artist’ video which will be on the news page which helps build a relationship between fans and the artist. 

Linking media products

A consistent design across all media products is vital in order to create a brand that is recognisable, appearing attractive and professional to the target audience. This will be achieved by having synergy between the design and colour palette of the video and website. Digital convergence will be achieved by featuring multiple audio-visual elements on the website – the music video and interview. Furthermore, social media links that are in fixed position on the webpages, and a newsletter subscription enable the audience to explore the artist’s work and engage with their work and community, creating strong brand cohesion.